Evaluation of the update for screening for retinopathy of prematurity in a tertiary care center in Türkiye with retrospective cohorts.

Background/aim: In Türkiye, the recommendations for screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) were updated in 2021. We aimed to present detailed data on the infants included in the screening program according to the new criteria and evaluate whether these changes are of benefit in detecting severe ROP.

Materials and methods: Our hospital's medical records of infants screened for ROP between July 2019 and July 2021 or between August 2021 and August 2023 were retrospectively examined. Gestational age (GA), birth weight, the sex of the infant, whether there was multiple pregnancy, ROP examination results, the most advanced ROP level and time, and ROP treatment needs and times were recorded. Cohort data from these two time periods before and after the update were compared.

Results: Three hundred and fifty-seven infants screened before the updating of the guidelines and 336 infants screened after the update were included in the analysis. Between August 2021 and August 2023, more cases of ROP were detected (19.3% and 21.4% for the two cohorts, respectively), while a lower rate of treatment was required (3.9% and 2.1% for the cohorts, respectively). One of the infants treated after the update was included in the screening based on the new GA criterion. In both cohorts, no infant needed treatment before 32 weeks of postmenstrual age regardless of agreement with GA at birth.

Conclusion: In this study, one infant in need of treatment who was not included in the screening program according to the previous criteria was identified. The data we obtained support the necessity of increasing the upper limit for GA. Additionally, the 31st week seems safe for the beginning of examinations in extremely premature infants.